Diosdado Cabello speaks outside Venezuela's National Assembly in Caracas. Cabello could step in as a caretaker leader if President Hugo Chavez isn't healthy enough to take the oath of office.

Photo: Raul Arboleda, AFP/Getty Images

Diosdado Cabello speaks outside Venezuela's National Assembly in...

Image 2 of 2

Venezuelan Vice-President Nicolas Maduro (L) embraces the president of the Venezuelan National Assembly, Diosdado Cabello, outside the National Assembly in Caracas on January 5, 2013. Venezuelan lawmakers gathered Saturday for a key leadership vote and debate as President Hugo Chavez's battle with cancer appeared almost certain to delay his swearing-in for a new six year term. AFP PHOTO/Raul ARBOLEDARAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images

Allies of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez on Saturday chose to keep the same National Assembly president - a man who could be in line to step in as a caretaker leader in some circumstances.

The vote to retain Diosdado Cabello as legislative leader signaled the ruling party's desire to stress unity and continuity amid growing signs the government plans to postpone Chavez's inauguration for a new term while he fights a severe respiratory infection nearly a month after cancer surgery in Cuba.

The opposition has argued that if Chavez, 58, is unable to be sworn in as scheduled on Thursday, the president of the National Assembly should take over on an interim basis.

Cabello's selection quashed speculation about possible political reshuffling in the midst of Chavez's health crisis, and it came a day after Vice President Nicolas Maduro joined other allies in suggesting that Chavez could remain president and take the oath of office at a later time if he isn't fit to be sworn in on the scheduled date.

"It strikes me that the government has decided to put things on hold, to wait and see what happens with Chavez's health and other political factors, and figure out the best way to insure continuity," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.

Cabello, a former military officer, was re-elected by a show of hands by Chavez's allies, who hold a majority of the 165 congressional seats.

Pro-Chavez party leaders ignored calls to include opposition lawmakers among the legislative leadership, and opposition lawmaker Ismael Garcia said the choices represented "intolerance."

The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. It also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the assembly, he may take the oath before the Supreme Court, and some legal experts in addition to Chavez allies have noted that the sentence referring to the court does not mention a date.

If Chavez dies or is declared incapacitated, the Constitution says that a new election should be called and held within 30 days, and Chavez has said Maduro should be the candidate.

Chavez hasn't spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation. He has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.